Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has said that an investigation by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) found no evidence to support allegations made by the banned Awami League that its human rights were being violated in Bangladesh.

He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday morning (October 11), after returning from an IPU convention in Tanzania.

The Speaker said Awami League leaders raised allegations of human rights violations in Bangladesh during the IPU’s 152nd Assembly in Istanbul last April. Following the complaints, IPU members visited Bangladesh to investigate the allegations. Their investigation found the claims to be unsubstantiated, he said, adding that Bangladesh’s name had also been removed from the blacklist.

He said IPU members had heard about the 17-year struggle of the people of Bangladesh and were deeply moved by their experiences.

Referring to his discussions with international representatives, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said he had outlined the realities in Bangladesh and explained how the people had struggled for democracy over the past 16 years. The people’s struggle for democracy had impressed the international community, he said, adding that misconceptions created by the previous government had been dispelled.

The Speaker said the IPU convention was held in Tanzania from October 5 to 9, with a 13-member Bangladeshi delegation led by him. Bangladesh attracted considerable attention at the convention, he added.

During the event, the delegation held discussions with Australia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Canada and Türkiye on issues of mutual interest. It also held a meeting with the Human Rights Commission. Bangladesh achieved positive outcomes through dialogues with various groups, he said.

On October 5, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed formally assumed the chairmanship of the IPU’s Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Group (APG), taking over from Bhutanese Speaker Temba Dorji. The group comprises 37 member countries.

On the same day, Barrister Zahrat Adib Chowdhury, MP, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was elected as a member of the IPU Executive Committee representing the Asia-Pacific Group at the organisation’s 153rd Assembly. The development is expected to strengthen Bangladesh’s representation in international parliamentary diplomacy.

The Speaker was accompanied by Chief Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu. Other members of the parliamentary delegation included MPs Sarwar Jamal Nizam, A. E. Sultan Mahmud Babu, Md. Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, S. K. Azizul Bari, Humam Quader Chowdhury, Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, Sansila Jebrin and Rokeya Begum.

Upon the delegation’s arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, officials from the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the delegation, along with Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Md. Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan.

Bangladesh’s assumption of the chairmanship of the IPU’s Asia-Pacific Group is expected to further strengthen the country’s position in international parliamentary affairs.